Cannabidiol (CBD) is the non-psychoactive compound found in the hemp plant that has been linked with several potential health benefits. Although CBD was once associated with oil, the compound can be found in lots of different products, including drinks such as water, carbonated drinks, juice, tea, coffee, beer and wine. CBD beverages have been gaining in popularity since cannabidiol became legal in the UK, with the global CBD beverages market valued at 4.52 billion in 2022.
As CBD is non-psychoactive, this means it doesn’t get you high and is considered non-addictive. A report from The World Health Organisation (WHO) found that ‘CBD exhibits no effects indicative of abuse or dependence potential [and] there is no evidence of public health related problems associated with [its] use.’ This is unlike Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the major psychoactive component in the hemp plant.
CBD drinks can have a range of therapeutic effects on your physical and mental health. In general though, it is considered to help you relax and unwind — although this will depend on the type of CBD, the dosage, and your metabolism, diet, weight and genetics.
Effects of CBD Drinks
CBD drinks are thought to have several positive effects on our body and mind, including reduced stress, pain relief and improved sleep. Let’s have a look at these in more detail.
1. Relaxation
CBD has been shown to have anxiolytic, or anxiety-reducing properties, which can help promote a sense of calm. This is one of the most sought out properties of CBD, with one survey concluding that the top reason for using CBD was for self-perceived anxiety (42.6%). And the science backs this up.
- One study on Cannabidiol in Anxiety and Sleep showed that 79.2% and 66.7% (48/72) of all patients experienced an improvement in anxiety and sleep.
- The Cannabidiol Youth Anxiety Pilot Study found that young people with treatment-resistant anxiety had an average 42.6% reduction in anxiety severity and impairment following 12 weeks of treatment with cannabidiol.
- Preclinical evidence demonstrates CBD’s efficacy in reducing anxiety behaviours relevant to multiple disorders, including PTSD, GAD, PD, OCD, and SAD.
2. Mood Boosting
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that plays an important role in regulating lots of physiological processes, including mood. Serotonin is often referred to as the “feel-good” chemical as it is believed to contribute to feelings of happiness, and low levels of serotonin are linked to depression and other mood disorders.
CBD doesn’t boost serotonin levels, but it might affect how your brain’s chemical receptors respond to the serotonin that’s in your system. It is thought that CBD binds to your receptors to slow or stop the degradation of serotonin, similar to antidepressants.
3. Pain Relief
It is thought that CBD can activate or inhibit certain receptors in the body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS), which can lead to a reduction in pain and inflammation.
- In a study of 253 participants, 59% responded that CBD products have helped their pain (59.0%) and allowed them to reduce their pain medications, including opioids.
- Another study on CBD’s potential pain-relieving properties found that pain unpleasantness was significantly reduced in participants.
- A 2017 review found that CBD helped with chronic neuropathy pain in humans. The researchers looked at 11 randomized controlled trials with 1,219 patients.
- One animal study from the European Journal of Pain suggests CBD could help lower pain and inflammation due to arthritis.
4. Improved Sleep
As well as tackling the stress and pain that might be causing you issues with sleep, CBD can help to tackle insomnia by helping you to relax before bed. As Dr Whitelocke explains for Forbes, ‘the hypothalamus plays a role in several sleep-related functions, including regulating body temperature and synchronising sleep patterns. CBD can help people with insomnia because it works with the hypothalamus to regulate stress [and] equalise the sleep and wake rhythm through counteracting hormones.”
- In a study examining the effects of cannabis on insomnia, researchers found CBD more effectively decreased symptoms of insomnia than THC.
- Another found that, compared with a placebo, a CBD dosage of 160 milligrams increased sleep duration.
- In addition to this, a few small studies have seen positive results when using cannabinoids to treat sleep apnea.
Want to learn more about CBD for sleep? Read our article on how CBD tea can help you drift off.
And this list is not exhaustive — CBD is thought to help with a number of short and long-term conditions and illnesses, including but not limited to arthritis, addiction, ADHD, digestive disorders, inflammation and period pain.
We hope this article has helped you to better understand CBD drinks, and how they can make you feel. Shop our full range of CBD-infused drinks on our website, including our premium range of CBD tea and coffee pods, for an all-natural solution for better health and wellness.
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Organic CBD Coffee Pods£18.00 — or subscribe and save 20%
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Harmony Hemp Tea£16.00 — or subscribe and save 20%
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Tranquillity Hemp Infused Tea£16.00 — or subscribe and save 20%
Purity Coffee combines the finest Arabica Coffee beans with freshly harvested hemp leaves to produce a premium beverage that places emphasis on both flavour and the therapeutic benefits of CBD. Shop our full range of CBD-infused beverages on our website.